How to choose a disease-free puppy.

Avoiding the Puppy Mill – 6 Helpful Guidelines to Buying a Happy, Disease-free Pup
You pause, look down at the placemat and sigh dramatically. Then, just as your kids are convinced all hope is lost, you drop this bombshell – “Alright,” you say, “we’re getting a puppy!”
The screams, the shouts, the kisses and hugs – the children are already fastening their seatbelts and beginning to bicker. “I want a brown puppy!” “No, a white puppy!” “Calico!” “No, stupid, only cat’s are calico!”
But for all the love and tenderness that these children will pour upon their new puppy, you could regret your purchase a few years down the road. The puppy could be genetically diseased.
Puppy mills – mass commercial breeders of purebred puppies – are prolific suppliers, notorious for inhumane conditions including bad shelter, substandard health conditions, malnutrition, inbreeding, overbreeding, overcrowding and finally, when the so-called “breeding bitches” are dried up and useless, slaughter.
And in addition to the genetic diseases generated by inbreeding (the symptoms of which typically only show up later in life), the dogs bred in puppy mills are much more likely to be infected with an illness right off the bat. Furthermore, they won’t have been socialized to human interaction, other dogs and household life, causing an unpleasant experience for both the puppy and the pet owner.
In short, you’ll want to avoid the puppy mill. But how? Here are a few useful suggestions on what to look for, and how to avoid owning a puppy from a puppy mill:
Don’t buy your puppy from a Pet Store
The same goes for online or newspaper puppy sales. Don’t do it. Pet shops are working hard to meet customers’ demand for cute little puppies (not dogs), and therefore they have to keep their inventory fresh. Unfortunately, a puppy mill is a dependable supplier.
But if you feel yourself falling in love with that doggie in the window, there’s a chance it could be a safe purchase – you just have to do the research, and make well sure that it’s not coming from a commercial breeder.
Ask these Questions:
Where did the puppy come from?
What’s the name of the facility, the address and the phone number?
Does the puppy have papers? Ask for the interstate health certificate will list the breeder’s contact information. Also, understand that a certificate from the American Kennel Club (AKC) isn’t that important. Ask for it, but don’t be sold on this certificate alone.
Are there references? Ask people who’ve bought dogs from the same breeder if they are happy with their pets. How long have they had their pets?
Who’s the vet? Call the breeder’s vet and ask about the overall health of the puppies that come through for check-ups (and if there are routine checkups for all the dogs!)
Is the breeder licensed?
How many breeds does the facility oversee (correct answer: no more than two, but preferably one).
Is there a puppy warrantee?
These queries are essential to making sure that your puppy-to-be has been born and raised in a healthy, caring environment.
Answer their Questions
If you find yourself explaining your household conditions, how much you’ll feed the dog, what past experience you have with a dog or other house pets, what other pets you currently own – in other words, if you almost feel put on the spot – then it’s probably a good sign. On the other hand, if a dog breeder exhibits a “couldn’t care less” attitude about the dog’s future, this may be a warning sign.
Visit the Breeding Facility
This is the best way to see the conditions in which your prospective pup has been raised. But since many puppy mills sell their animals on site, be prepared for a slick presentation. Dig deeper, and don’t purchase the puppy until you’ve been shown where all the dogs live on a day-to-day basis.
Ask to see the other dogs that your pup has been raised with. Look at how clean they are, how energetic they are and how much space they have to run around. What does the place smell like? What do they get fed?
Ask to see the mother, and the father, of your prospective pup. If the mother is present, then this is a good sign. Still, take a close look at her. Ask how many litters she gives every year (more than two means she’s a breeding bitch). If the father is present, the means that the breeder was too lazy to select a stud from outside. This means that your pup probably isn’t that pure afterall.
One caveat when touring the facilities: it’s normal not to show people puppies that are under 4 weeks old, as these are especially susceptible to infection.
Make an Appointment with a Veterinarian
Take your puppy to the vet right away, and make sure that your pet seller gives you a money-back guarantee if the dog is especially diseased. While a visit to the vet is necessary anyway, it’s yet another way to…er…“vet” out the puppy mill possibility. The sooner the better.
Go to from Animal Shelters
An animal shelter is usually a safe bet when it comes to obtaining a puppy. The staff who work animal shelters typically have a strong interest in the welfare of their animals, and therefore do the work it takes to make sure the puppy gets fit with the right family.
These organizations aren’t out to turn a buck by sourcing their puppies from a mill. Do keep in mind, however, that since puppies in animal shelters can come from anywhere, it’s a good idea to have your new pet checked out by a vet right away – even before you commit to taking the puppy under your wing.

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